Menachem Mendel Schneerson

Menachem Mendel Schneerson (April 18, 1902-June 12, 1994), referred to by Lubavitchers as The Rebbe, was a prominent Orthodox Jewish rabbi who was the seventh and last Rebbe (spiritual leader) of the Chabad Lubavitch branch of Hasidic Judaism (which is also part of Haredi Judaism.) He was fifth in a direct paternal line to the third Chabad Lubavitch Rebbe Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneersohn (known as the Tzemach Tzedek), his namesake.

Biography

Early life

Born in Nikolaiev, Ukraine, Schneerson received mostly private tuition. He was enrolled in the secular Yekaterinoslav University for part-time study of mathematics at the age of 16. His father Rabbi Levi Yitzchok Schneerson, a renowned kabbalist who served as the Chief Rabbi of Yekaterinoslav (Dnepropetrovsk) from 1907-1939, was his primary teacher. He intensively studied Talmud and rabbinic literature, as well as the hasidic view of Jewish mysticism and Kabbalah. He married Chaya Mushka Schneerson in 1928 and went to live in Berlin, Germany, and study engineering and philosophy at one of its universities. Lubavitch publications state that he received "degrees at Heidelberg", although some surmise that this is "anecdotal". During his time in Berlin, he forged friendships with two other young rabbis studying in Berlin: Joseph Soloveitchik and Yitzchok Hutner.

Related Topics:
Nikolaiev - Ukraine - Levi Yitzchok Schneerson - Kabbalist - Dnepropetrovsk - 1907 - 1939 - Talmud - Rabbinic literature - Jewish mysticism - Kabbalah - Chaya Mushka Schneerson - 1928 - Berlin - Germany - Engineering - Philosophy - Universities - Lubavitch - Heidelberg - Joseph Soloveitchik - Yitzchok Hutner

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France

In 1933 Schneerson moved to France. According to histories authorized by Lubavitch, he studied at the Sorbonne in Paris, though official school records are ambiguous on this matter. He learned to speak French which he put to use in establishing his movement there after the war. The Chabad movement in France attracted many Jews who immigrated there from Algeria, Morocco, and Tunisia.

Related Topics:
1933 - France - Sorbonne - Paris - French - Algeria - Morocco - Tunisia

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America and leadership

In 1941 Schneerson escaped from France on the Serpa Pinto, which was the last boat to cross the Atlantic ocean before the U-boat blockade began, and joined his father-in-law Rabbi Joseph Isaac Schneersohn in the Crown Heights section Brooklyn, New York. He spent some time working in the Brooklyn Navy Yard. In 1942, his father-in-law appointed him director of the movement's central organizations, placing him at the helm of a budding Jewish educational and hasidic outreach empire across the United States, Canada, Israel, and North Africa.

Related Topics:
1941 - U-boat - Joseph Isaac Schneersohn - Crown Heights - Brooklyn, New York - Brooklyn Navy Yard - 1942 - United States - Canada - Israel - North Africa

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His father-in-law died in 1950. His followers immediately began pressuring Schneerson, then known as the Rama"sh--an acronym of his name, to succeed his father-in-law. At first he steadfastly refused, saying that his father-in-law "lived on". In that "vacuum", another candidate for leadership emerged: Rabbi Shemaryahu Gurary, Joseph Isaac Schneersohn's elder son-in-law, married to his elder daughter. Gurary, known as the Rasha"g, failed to capture support among the Hasidim, who continued pressuring Schneerson to relent and accept the position of "Rebbe". On the first anniversary of his father-in-law's passing, he finally relented and became The Rebbe.

Related Topics:
1950 - Shemaryahu Gurary

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Gurary became a devoted follower; however, his son Barry Gurary resented what he perceived as Schneerson's "usurpation" of what he thought should have been his father's position. Various intra-family disputes arose. For example, when invaluable books and manuscripts from the Chabad library began to go missing, Schneerson's wife, Chaya Mushka, suspected her nephew Barry and ordered a surveillance camera installed, which then confirmed her suspicions. This led to a protracted battle in Federal Court over the library's ownership. Barry Gurary claimed that the library was a family heirloom and as the previous Rebbe's sole grandson, he claimed ownership of it. Schneerson countered that the library was the collective property of the Chabad movement. Barry's mother, Hanna, sided with him, while his father remained staunchly devoted to Schneerson, leading to a deep rift in the Gurary family. On the fifth day of the Hebrew month of Tevet, the court handed down its decision--an overwhelming victory for Schneerson. His followers commemorate this day each year as Didan Natzach ("We did triumph") a kind of "V-Day".

Related Topics:
Barry Gurary - Tevet

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Schneerson undertook to intensify the outreach program of the movement, bringing in new followers from all walks of life, and aggresively sought the expansion of the baal teshuva movement. His two most famous early experimental emissaries were Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach and Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi, both of whom eventually veered away from Lubavitch.

Related Topics:
Baal teshuva - Shlomo Carlebach - Zalman Schachter-Shalomi

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Other Orthodox Jews were bothered by the fact that Lubavitch outreach efforts extended to them as well as to non-affiliated Jews. The Satmar sect attacked him for not sufficiently opposing Zionism, a philosophy considered heretical by that group. The proximity of Crown Heights to Satmar enclaves in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, and the "conversion" of some prominent Satmar Hasidim to Chabad caused friction, culminating in an incident one year in which a group of Lubavitchers walking through the Satmar enclave in Williamsburg on their way to visit a synagogue to spread Schneerson's message were set upon and beaten by a mob. Nonetheless, Schneerson and Rabbi Joel Teitelbaum, the Satmar Rebbe, held each other in high esteem.

Related Topics:
Orthodox Jews - Satmar - Zionism - Crown Heights - Williamsburg, Brooklyn - Lubavitchers - Joel Teitelbaum

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Vision

Part of Schneerson's vision was the training of thousands of young Chabad rabbis and their wives, who were sent all over the world by him as shluchim (Hebrew: "emissaries") to further Jewish observance.

Related Topics:
Rabbi - Hebrew

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He oversaw the building of schools, community centers, youth camps, college campus centers (known as "Chabad houses"), and reached out to the most powerful Jewish lay leaders and non-Jewish government leaders wherever they found themselves. The United States Congress and President issue annual proclamations declaring that the Rebbe's birthday, usually a day in March or April that coincides with his Hebrew calendar birth-date of 11 Nisan (a Hebrew month), be observed as Education Day in the United States.

Related Topics:
United States Congress - President - March - April - Hebrew calendar - Nisan - Education Day

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Schneerson instituted a system of "mitzvah campaigns" called mivtzoim; these encouraged Jews to be keep kosher, observe Shabbat, learn more Torah, help in writing a Torah scroll, taught women to observe the niddah laws of Jewish family purity (laws pertaining to menstruation and ritual immersion afterwards in a pool of water known as a mikveh), accepting a belief in Moshiach (the Jewish Messiah). They went out to street-corners, and rode in "Mitzvah tanks", mobile outreach centers, encouraging Jews to increase their religious observance. He also launched a campaign to promote observance of the Noahide Laws among gentiles.

Related Topics:
Mitzvah - Kosher - Shabbat - Torah - Torah scroll - Niddah - Menstruation - Mikveh - Moshiach - Mitzvah tank - Noahide Laws - Gentile

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Schneerson's activities spread to many surprising parts of Judaism. Since the time of the Rebbe Sholom Dovber Schneersohn, Chabad had been involved with the Sephardic world. Schneerson was revered by Rabbis Israel Abuhatzeira (known as Babba Sali), Meir Abuhatzeira, Yitzchak Kaduri and Mordechai Eliyahu (a former Chief Rabbi of Israel). The latter two often visited him in Brooklyn, while the others maintained a correspondence with him. In the late 1970s, Schneerson joined with other organizations to orchestrate an exodus of Jews from countries such as Iran, laying the framework for Sephardic Hasidim. There are currently several Sephardic Chabad congregations.

Related Topics:
Rebbe - Sholom Dovber Schneersohn - Sephardi - Israel Abuhatzeira - Meir Abuhatzeira - Yitzchak Kaduri - Mordechai Eliyahu - Chief Rabbi - Israel - Brooklyn - Iran - Sephardic

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Scientists who called on him, such as Herman Branover, professor of physics at Ben-Gurion University in Beer-Sheva, Israel, noted that he had a keen understanding of scientific issues. Branover himself, a Russian-Israeli authority on solar energy, is an active member of the Lubavitch movement. He frequently turned to Schneerson for advice on his scientific research. According to the millionaire mining magnate Joseph Gutnick of Australia, it was Schneerson who pointed out to him the precise geological points on a map of Australia to commence mining for gold. He was also given guidelines in his search for diamonds. Gutnick was subsequently appointed by Schneerson as his main representative to the Israeli government, and was instrumental in the election of Benjamin Netanyahu as prime minister of Israel in 1996. Another mining company Shefa Yamim (Bounty of the Seas) has recently found diamonds, other precious stones and gold based on the Rebbe's prediction.

Related Topics:
Herman Branover - Professor - Physics - Ben-Gurion University - Beer-Sheva - Russia - Solar energy - Joseph Gutnick - Australia - Geological - Gold - Diamond - Benjamin Netanyahu - 1996

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Schneerson rarely chose to involve himself with questions of halakha (Jewish law). Some notable exception were with regard to the use of electrical appliances on the Sabbath, sailing on Israeli boats staffed by Jews, and halakhic dilemmas created when crossing the International Date Line. Responsa literature on the subject reflect the great deference that prominent arbiters of halakha showed Schneerson.

Related Topics:
Halakha - Sabbath - Israel - International Date Line - Responsa - Arbiters

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He hardly ever left Crown Heights in Brooklyn, except for frequent lengthy visits to his father-in-law's gravesite, the ohel ("tent"), in Queens, New York. Upon the death of his wife in 1988, he further secluded himself, first in his home on President Street and after the traditional year of Jewish mourning, moved into his study above the central Lubavitch synagogue at 770 Eastern Parkway which is known as "Lubavitch World Headquarters".

Related Topics:
Crown Heights - Queens, New York - 1988

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It was from "770" that Schneerson directed his emissaries' work. He would hold court around the clock involving himself in every detail of his far-flung movements' developments. People making appointments to see him would be summoned at all hours of the night. He did not sleep much. The highlight of his public role would be displayed during special celebrations called farbrengens ("celebrations") on Sabbaths, holy days, and special days on the Chabad calendar when he would lead the packed hall with long talks called maamorim (" talks") or sichos " discussions"), and with songs called nigunim, that would last all night. They would often be broadcast via satellite to Lubavitch branches all over the world.

Related Topics:
Sabbaths - Nigun

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Later life

In 1977 Schneerson suffered a massive heart attack while celebrating the hakafot ("circling" ) ceremony on Shmini Atzeret. Nonetheless, he insisted on finishing the ceremony with the customary dancing. Despite the best efforts of his doctors to convince him to change his mind, Schneerson refused to be hospitalized. This necessitated building a mini-hospital in "770." Although he did not appear in public for several weeks, he continued to deliver talks and discourses from his study via intercom. On Rosh Chodesh Kislev, the first day of the Hebrew month of Kislev, he left his study for the first time in over a month to go home. His followers celebrate this day as a great holiday each year with a feast of thanksgiving to God for his miraculous recovery.

Related Topics:
1977 - Heart attack - Shmini Atzeret - Rosh Chodesh - Kislev - God

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In 1983, on the occasion of his 80th birthday the U.S. Congress proclaimed Schneerson's birthday Education Day, USA, and awarded him the National Scroll of honor.

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Following the death of Schneerson's wife in 1988 he withdrew from some public functions and became generally more reclusive. In 1991, he stated that: "I have done everything I can do to bring Moshiach (the Jewish Messiah), now I am handing over to you (his followers) the keys to bring Moshiach." A final campaign was started to bring the messianic age through acts of "goodness and kindness" and his followers placed advertising in the mass media such as many full-page ads in the New York Times urging everyone to contribute toward the messiah's imminent arrival, by increasing in their good deeds.

Related Topics:
1988 - 1991 - Moshiach - New York Times

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In 1991, Schneerson faced an anti-Semitic riot in his neighborhood of Crown Heights which became known as the Crown Heights Riot of 1991. The riot began when a car accompanying his motorcade returning from one of his regular cemetery visits to his father-in-law's grave accidentally struck an African American child who subsequently died. In the rioting, an Australian Jewish graduate student was murdered, many Lubavitchers were badly beaten, and much property was destroyed.

Related Topics:
1991 - Crown Heights Riot - African American

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In 1992 he was felled by a serious stroke while at the grave of his father-in-law. The stroke left him unable to speak and paralyzed on the right side of his body. Nonetheless, he continued to respond daily to thousands of queries and requests for blessings from around the world. His secretaries would read the letters to him and he would indicate his response with head and hand motions.

Related Topics:
1992 - Stroke

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Despite his deteriorating health, Schneerson once again refused to leave "Seven-seventy" . Several months into his illness, a small room with tinted glass windows with an attached balcony was built overlooking the main synagogue. This allowed him to pray with his followers, beginning with the Rosh Hashana services and after services, to appear before them by either having the window opened or by being carried onto the balcony.

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During these appearances his followers would chant, what would come to be a very controversial "mantra" among the Lubavitchers : Yechi Adonenu Moreinu v'Rabbeinu Melech Hamoshiach l'olam voed! - "Long live our Master our Teacher and our Rabbi King Messiah forever and ever!"

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When sung before him in has last months, Schneerson evidently vigorously encouraged the singing by swaying to and fro and swinging his hand, as he had done at the numerous farbrengens over the years. From this and his previous public statements his followers "extrapolated" that he acceded to their wish that he be the "Messiah". But that moment never arrived, as he died unable to verbalize and say anything to confirm his followers' longed-for dream that he be the actual long-promised Jewish Messiah.

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After his death, a bill was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives by Congressmen Charles Schumer, John Lewis, Newt Gingrich, and Jerry Lewis to bestow on Schneerson the Congressional Gold Medal. On November 2, 1994, the bill passed both Houses by unanimous consent, honoring Schneerson for his "outstanding and lasting contributions toward improvements in world education, morality, and acts of charity".

Related Topics:
U.S. House of Representatives - Charles Schumer - John Lewis - Newt Gingrich - Jerry Lewis - Congressional Gold Medal - November 2

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President Clinton spoke these words at the Congressional Gold Medal ceremony "The late Rebbe's eminence as a moral leader for our country was recognized by every president since Richard Nixon. For over two decades the Rabbi's movement now has some 2000 institutions; educational, social, medical, all across the globe. We, (The United States Government) recognize the profound role that Rabbi Schneerson had in the expansion of those institutions."

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Succession

The Messiah question, combined with a Chabad tradition that the Messiah would come after the seventh Rebbe, probably complicated his succession. Chabad Hasidim believe that there is no successor to Rabbi Schneerson, and that he is in that sense still their leader. Many believe that he will return as the Messiah; this view has led to controversy with other Orthodox groups. Many, quoting Talmudic passages such as Ya'akov avinu lo meis ("our forefather Jacob did not die") (Talmud Ta'anit 5b) insist he has not died at all, and refuse to put the typical honorifics for the dead (e.g. zt"l or Zecher Tzaddik Livrocho, "may the memory of the righteous be for a blessing") after his name.

Related Topics:
Controversy - Talmud

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As for the organisation's activities, Rabbi Yehuda Krinsky now serves as chairman of the Chabad-Lubavitch Merkos L'Inyonei Chinuch education establishment and the Kehot Publication Society. Rabbi Moshe Kotlarsky heads Machne Israel fundraising for Chabad's congregational work. Rabbi Avrohom Shemtov now serves as chairman of the Executive Committee of Agudas Chasidei Chabad. Schneerson was president of the above mentioned organizations during his lifetime as leader of the Chabad-Lubavitch movement.

Related Topics:
Yehuda Krinsky - Kehot Publication Society - Agudas Chasidei Chabad

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Many Chabad Hasidim practice a custom of attempting to communicate with him through his writings, based on his statement in 1991 that placing of a letter to him in a volume of his teachings at random is a way of receiving his guidance. In this view, the late rebbe is held to guide the questioner to open a book to a specific page, in order to communicate a message from beyond the grave. While there are a small number of references in Jewish tradition for opening books of the Tanach on random pages in order to receive divine inspiration, the practice of opening books of a deceased Rebbe's writings in order to receive communication from him appears unique to Chabad.

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